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Nano Research 2017, 10(9): 3077-3091 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-017-1523-5
Research Article | Issue | Published: 24 March 2017

Curved copper nanowires-based robust flexible transparent electrodes via all-solution approach

Show Author's Information Zhenxing Yin§,1,  Seung Keun Song§,2,  Sanghun Cho1,  Duck-Jae You1,  Jeeyoung Yoo1,  Suk Tai Chang2( ),  Youn Sang Kim1,3( )
Program in Nano Science and TechnologyGraduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National UniversitySeoul08826Republic of Korea
School of Chemical Engineering and Materials ScienceChung-Ang UniversitySeoul06974Republic of Korea
Advanced Institutes of Convergence Technology145 Gwanggyo-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-siGyeonggi-do16229Republic of Korea

§ Zhenxing Yin and Seung Keun Song contributed equally to this work.

Keywords:
high performance, transparent electrode, curved Cu nanowires, all-solution processes, 20 μm patterns
Cite this article:
Yin Z, Song SK, Cho S, et al. Curved copper nanowires-based robust flexible transparent electrodes via all-solution approach. Nano Research, 2017, 10(9): 3077-3091. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-017-1523-5
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Abstract Full text Electronic supplementary material About this article

Curved Cu nanowire (CCN)-based high-performance flexible transparent conductive electrodes (FTCEs) were fabricated via a fully solution-processed approach, involving synthesis, coating, patterning, welding, and transfer. Each step involved an innovative technique for completing the all-solution processes. The high-quality and well-dispersed CCNs were synthesized using a multi-polyol method through the synergistic effect of specific polyol reduction. To precisely control the optoelectrical properties of the FTCEs, the CCNs were uniformly coated on a polyimide (PI) substrate via a simple meniscus-dragging deposition method by tuning several coating parameters. We also employed a polyurethane (PU)-stamped patterning method to effectively produce 20 μm patterns on CCN thin films. The CCN thin films exhibited high electrical performance, which is attributed to the deeply percolated CCN network formed via a solvent-dipped welding method. Finally, the CCN thin films on the PI substrate were partially embedded and transferred to the PU matrix to reduce their surface roughness. Through consecutive processes involving the proposed methods, a highly percolated CCN thin film on the PU matrix exhibited high optoelectrical performance (Rs = 53.48 Ω/□ at T = 85.71%), excellent mechanical properties (R/R0 < 1.10 after the 10th repetition of tape peeling or 1, 000 bending cycles), and a low root-mean-square surface roughness (Rrms = 14.36 nm).


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About this article

Curved copper nanowires-based robust flexible transparent electrodes via all-solution approach

Show Author's information Zhenxing Yin§,1, Seung Keun Song§,2, Sanghun Cho1, Duck-Jae You1, Jeeyoung Yoo1, Suk Tai Chang2( ), Youn Sang Kim1,3( )
Program in Nano Science and TechnologyGraduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National UniversitySeoul08826Republic of Korea
School of Chemical Engineering and Materials ScienceChung-Ang UniversitySeoul06974Republic of Korea
Advanced Institutes of Convergence Technology145 Gwanggyo-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-siGyeonggi-do16229Republic of Korea

§ Zhenxing Yin and Seung Keun Song contributed equally to this work.

Abstract

Curved Cu nanowire (CCN)-based high-performance flexible transparent conductive electrodes (FTCEs) were fabricated via a fully solution-processed approach, involving synthesis, coating, patterning, welding, and transfer. Each step involved an innovative technique for completing the all-solution processes. The high-quality and well-dispersed CCNs were synthesized using a multi-polyol method through the synergistic effect of specific polyol reduction. To precisely control the optoelectrical properties of the FTCEs, the CCNs were uniformly coated on a polyimide (PI) substrate via a simple meniscus-dragging deposition method by tuning several coating parameters. We also employed a polyurethane (PU)-stamped patterning method to effectively produce 20 μm patterns on CCN thin films. The CCN thin films exhibited high electrical performance, which is attributed to the deeply percolated CCN network formed via a solvent-dipped welding method. Finally, the CCN thin films on the PI substrate were partially embedded and transferred to the PU matrix to reduce their surface roughness. Through consecutive processes involving the proposed methods, a highly percolated CCN thin film on the PU matrix exhibited high optoelectrical performance (Rs = 53.48 Ω/□ at T = 85.71%), excellent mechanical properties (R/R0 < 1.10 after the 10th repetition of tape peeling or 1, 000 bending cycles), and a low root-mean-square surface roughness (Rrms = 14.36 nm).

Keywords: high performance, transparent electrode, curved Cu nanowires, all-solution processes, 20 μm patterns

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Publication history
Copyright
Acknowledgements

Publication history

Received: 04 January 2017
Revised: 05 February 2017
Accepted: 09 February 2017
Published: 24 March 2017
Issue date: September 2017

Copyright

© Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2017

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIP, Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning) (Nos. 2016R1A2B4012992, 2016R1C1B2013145 and 2016M3A7B4910458).

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